


One Iced Green Tea Latte for Ann

by rosesonraindrops



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Aged Up, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, Matthew is alive because I am weak and I love him too much, Modern AU, coffee shop AU, just so much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-02 05:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19193077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosesonraindrops/pseuds/rosesonraindrops
Summary: Anne Shirley Cuthbert lives for three things: her family, Diana Barry, and Iced Green Tea Lattes. However, Gilbert Blythe, the barista at Anne and Diana's favorite coffee shop, never seems to spell her name correctly, no matter how many times she's told him the right way to spell it. Or, Diana and Anne get coffee, and Gilbert tries his very best to charm Anne with his latte-making skills.---Loosely based on a tumblr prompt where the barista keeps misspelling the customer's name, so they keep mispronouncing the barista's name.





	1. "Life Had its Gleams of Sunshine"

**Author's Note:**

> Hey team, this is my very first fic, I sincerely hope you enjoy it. I would love and appreciate any feedback you have to offer! Thanks for checking it out!
> 
> (Chapter titles, like the show, are quotes from Jane Eyre. Because I'm obsessed with the concept.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey team, this is my very first fic so I hope you enjoy it! To supplement that, this is my very fic, so if you notice something I could work on, please tell me. To go along with THAT, if there's something you really liked, I'd love to know, it'd really help me to know that I should keep doing what I'm doing, and I really just like to make people happy. Anyways, I hope you like it! :)
> 
> (Chapter titles are from Jane Eyre because the show does that and I really love the idea)

Anne Shirley Cuthbert and Diana Barry practically lived at Mary's, the coffee shop owned by Mary LaCroix. She served the best coffees and lattes in all of Avonlea (Anne would argue in all of Prince Edward Island), and it wasn't Starbucks. Diana didn't mind Starbucks, but Anne hated it with a fiery passion. It wasn't unusual for her to go into a long-winded rant about supporting local businesses or how capitalism would be the end of her every time they passed by a Starbucks. So they went to Mary's. 

Another upside to Mary's was when Bash was around. Mary called him "trouble,” because whenever any of Gilbert's friends showed up, he'd try to smuggle them free drinks. According to Mary, he also had a tendency to make a bit of a mess whenever he tried to create new flavors.

Anne and Diana walked into the small but cozy coffee shop with their backpacks in their arms, ready to cram as finals approached. They went straight to the counter, where they patiently waited for someone to come out and take their orders. Much to Anne's dismay (but not to her surprise as he was always coincidentally working whenever Diana and Anne came), Gilbert Blythe walked out from the back room, wearing a yellow apron with Mary's logo on it. Gilbert and Anne had always had a competitive yet friendly rivalry, and that had continued even after they both went to college, despite selecting different majors.  

"Good afternoon, Diana, Anne. What can I get for you?" Gilbert greeted.

"Hey Gilbert," Diana said, "can I try the flavor of the week? Rose and lavender together sound divine."

"Sure," Gilbert said, entering Diana's order, "It's one of the very few recipes Bash has developed that's actually good."

Diana stepped aside so that Anne could order. "Hello Gilbert, can I please get an Iced Green Tea Latte with-"

"With light ice so it doesn't change the flavor too much, and no straw because you already have one in your efforts to help the environment? Sure thing," Gilbert finished with a smirk on his face.

"Show off," Anne muttered. Diana snickered.

"I could have Moody's memory, and I would still know your precise order because you have gotten the same thing for the past two years, Anne. I thought you liked adventure,” Gilbert said, teasingly.

"I do like adventure. It became my regular only after trying everything on the menu," Anne grumbled.

Diana laughed. "Don't worry Anne, you can try some of my tea. Who knows, maybe you'll like it better than your latte?"

"Thank you, Diana. You are a true friend, unlike Mr. I Know Your Order Better Than You Do over here," Anne said jokingly.

Anne and Diana paid for the drinks, and then sat at the counter, also known as _their spot_.

"I wonder how he'll spell your name today?" Diana asked Anne teasingly. 

"Surely he must be out of ideas at this point!" Anne exclaimed passionately. "I am an English major and even I couldn't come up with THAT many variations of my name. There was Ann without the E, which was just cruel because he knows how much I hate that spelling, Ane with only one N, which isn't even a real spelling; he was just grasping for straws. Anna with two N's, Ana with one N, Annie with the -ie, Anny with a y, which is just wrong, and-"

"I get it, Anne. I didn't mean to…upset you," Diana said, looking as though she regretted bringing up the topic in the first place.

"It's not upsetting, it's just that I HAVE A NAME," Anne replied, shouting the second part so that Gilbert could hear. Gilbert simply laughed from where he was working. Moments later, he walked over, their drinks in hand.

"Your drinks; enjoy, ladies," Gilbert said, handing them each their drink. Gilbert had handed Anne the cup so that she couldn't see what ever atrocious name he had come up with this time.

"Thank you, Gilbert," Diane said politely. She waited for Anne to show her thanks as well; when she didn't, Diana elbowed her lightly.

Anne grumbled and muttered a "Thanks" under her breath.

Gilbert winked and turned away, where he began wiping down the counters.

Anne turned her cup to see what he had written on it. In his stupid, neat handwriting, he had written "Carrots," and even had the audacity to draw a carrot next to the name.

Anne stood up so violently that the chair she had been sitting in nearly toppled over.

"Gilbert Blythe!" She shouted.

"Anne, what did he write?" Diana asked, confused.

"He wrote 'Carrots' this time," Anne answered, turning the cup so that Diana could see.

Diana suppressed a laugh as she said to Gilbert, "You picked the wrong day to use this one. There's no one in here and I'm not sure I'll be able to stop Anne from unleashing her wrath."

Gilbert’s innocent grin morphed into an amused smirk. "I am almost certain I picked the right day, Diana, or else I wouldn't get to witness this," he said, nodding towards Anne's enraged features.

"You are the worst. I am so angry I'm actually thinking about going back to Starbucks," she seethed, "I hope you meet a slow, painful death involving coffee filters and-"

"Anne!" Diane said, feigning disappointment. "Morbid much?"  
  
"It's what he deserves," Anne complained to Diana.  
  
Gilbert was too busy chuckling to care much. "I'm very sorry, Anne," he apologized, though it didn't sound very genuine, "Is there any way that I can make it up to you?"  
  
"You could give me a free drink?" Anne suggested, holding up her latte.  
  
"I'm not so sure Mary would want me giving out free drinks," Gilbert said.  
  
Unbeknownst to him, Mary herself had come out from the back room and was quietly watching the small group's conversation unfold.

"I'm not so sure Mary would want you harassing the costumers either, but here we are," Anne shot back.

"Anne did seem awfully upset," Diana agreed, feigning innocence.

"I do not harass-" Gilbert began.

He was cut off by Mary, her hands on her hips. She scolded him, "Gilbert Blythe, why are you harassing my favorite customers?"

Gilbert's crooked smile changed to shock. A wicked grin spread across Anne's face as she said to Mary, "He wrote carrots on my cup."

"Gilbert, you are worse than Sebastian," Mary said, winking at Anne and Diana.

"Fine, maybe I'll quit," Gilbert replied defiantly.

"You can't quit, it's not allowed," Mary said.  
  
"Yes I can, I'm 19, I'm an adult, I-"

"I'm the one feeding you."  
  
"Unfair," Gilbert protested. 

"What's unfair is that when I married Bash I didn't know I'd be getting two of him."  
  
"Fair," Gilbert mumbled. 

"Good, now go make both of my favorite customers drinks. On the house," she said.

"Thank you, Mary!" Anne and Diana chorused.

"I'm always targeted. Unsafe in my own workplace," Gilbert complained.

"It's not our fault Mary likes us the best," Anne said, smiling at Diana.

"We’re just so kind," Diana agreed, returning Anne's smile. They clinked their drinks together, further exasperating Gilbert  
  
He groaned, causing laughter to erupt between Anne and Diana. 

Diana looked up in time to see Gilbert smiling softly at Anne.

 "Hey Gil," Anne started, "Would it be okay if we got the second drinks later? I'd prefer to finish this one first, if that's okay with you."  
  
"Yeah, of course it is," Gilbert answered, "just remind me so I don't forget."  
  
"The rest of the afternoon was pretty quiet in the coffee shop, so Gilbert eventually ended up joining their study group. Although all three of them were majoring in different things, they found a quiet communion of studying in each other's company.

After about an hour Diana asked, "Hey, Gil, I never asked. How's pre-med going?"  
  
Gilbert looked up from the textbook he was bent over. "It's…going," he replied, "It's really hard, but I'm enjoying it so far; as much as one can enjoy classes, at least. You're music major, aren't you? "  
  
"Yeah," Diana answered, "I didn't know music theory would be as troublesome as it is, but here we are and I'm starting to question all of my knowledge. I didn't even know there was an alto clef!" Diana shivered, as if horrified by the thought of alto clefs.  
  
"And Anne? How are your studies?" Gilbert asked.

Anne didn't respond. After a beat of no answer, Anne suddenly looked up and said, "What?"  
  
"I asked how your studies were. It appears you were so engrossed in them you didn't hear my question," Gilbert joked.  
  
"Oh, they're going well. I'm studying for 19th Century British Literature, which is one of my favorite periods of writing. There are ever so many books that are just so…romantical," Anne sighed.

Diana watched as Gilbert's facial features softened again. For someone as smart as Anne, she never seemed to realize just how much Gilbert liked her. And although Anne was usually the one with ideas, Diana suddenly had an idea of her own.

She pulled out her phone and sent a simple text to Gilbert. She watched as he saw his phone light up. He looked down, then looked up at her a quizzical look on his eyes. Diana gestured for him to open it. He read the text, then looked at her again. He tapped out a response. She nodded to show that she agreed. They both looked over at Anne, who was so focused on her book, she hadn't noticed any of what just unfolded.

"Hey Anne," Diana said, "I really have to go now, but I don't expect you to come with me. In fact, you should just stay here. I'll get my tea to go."  
  
Anne looked up. "Oh, but Diana--"  
  
"Gilbert's here, it's not like you'll be alone. Besides, I think he gets off soon, he can take you home," Diana interrupted, a smile in her eyes.

Anne looked over to Gilbert who replied quickly, "I wouldn't mind. We close in about half an hour so if you don't mind waiting, I can drop you off."  
  
"Oh, okay. Well, thank you, Gilbert," Anne said.  
  
Gilbert went back behind the counter to make Diana's tea as she packed up her books. As she finished, Gilbert handed her the tea, and she mouthed, _Don't forget_. Gilbert nodded, if a bit nervously, to show that he understood.  
  
The last thirty minutes flew by as Gilbert cleaned up the shop and Anne delved back into reviewing her notes yet again. Before Anne knew it, Gilbert was saying, "Are you ready to go, Anne?"

"Oh, yeah. Thank you, Gilbert. Sorry for any convenience I'm causing you," Anne answered. 

"It's no inconvenience to me," Gilbert said cheerfully, "and here's your green tea latte. No name this time." He handed Anne another latte, no straw and everything.

"Thanks," Anne said, smiling. They left the small coffee shop together. Gilbert, always trying to be the "Knight in Shining Armor" type, opened the door to his 2005 Honda Accord (nicknamed "the death trap" by Bash) and closed it after her. He climbed in and turned the key. The ignition made a screaming sound.

"Whenever I start the car, it screams," Gilbert explained with a shrug, "It also screams sometimes when I brake. But Bash said it's nothing to worry about."

"Doesn't Bash also call your car 'the death trap?'" Anne asked.

"Yes, well," Gilbert said, at a loss for words, "that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"There is no point. The point is that my car is kind of a death trap but I'm a broke college student with ambitions to go to medical school, so I'll take what I can get."

Anne laughed.

"Alright, doctor."  
  
"You want to go to Green Gables, right?" Gilbert asked, changing the topic. He seemed more fidgety than usual, but Anne couldn't figure out why. Too much caffeine, maybe?

"Yeah, since it's the weekend I thought I'd visit," Anne said, "Are you alright Gilbert? You seem…jumpy. How much coffee did you drink?"

Gilbert chuckled. "Too much, apparently. I don't think it's the coffee, though. I mean, I'm a barista. I'm used to drinking to much coffee. Maybe," he paused, "Maybe it's just being in the company of someone like you. Alone." Gilbert's eyes flitted to her for a split second as he drove. Suddenly, he seemed even more nervous.

"Someone like me?" Anne said incredulously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant someone smart. Funny. Beautiful," Gilbert said softly. Again, his eyes flitted to Anne.

"Oh. Thank you. Sorry for assuming," Anne said in slight disbelief.

Gilbert pulled into Green Gables, the farm owned by Anne's family, the Cuthberts. It was a little out of the way, but Gilbert, Bash, and Mary didn't live too far from Green Gables either, as his father had once owned a farm, although their family didn't do much farming anymore with the coffee shop 

"Goodnight, Anne," Gilbert said with a small smile, "And, uh, check the bottom of your cup, when you, when you get inside." Gilbert gazed at Anne. He seemed to realize she had noticed, and quickly looked away.

"I should go. I don't want to keep you. Goodnight, Gil. And, thank you," Anne said awkwardly. She abruptly opened the car door and shut it a little too loudly behind her. She raced inside so she could try to better understand Gilbert's cryptic message.  
  
As soon as she stepped into Green Gables, Anne felt the warm feeling of home wash over her yet again. "Marilla! Matthew! I'm home!" Anne called. Marilla walked into the kitchen where Anne had set down her latte.

"Welcome home, Anne. I was just cleaning up from dinner. I left some food on the table for you, just in case. How was your study session with Diana?" Marilla asked.

"It was nice," Anne replied. "Gilbert was working and there weren't many people, so he ended up joining us. Diana actually had to go home, so he dropped me off."  
  
A peculiar look crossed Marilla's features for a brief moment, but she replaced it with subtle interest. "Oh, did he? How kind," she said.

"Mary also gave Diana and I free drinks after Gil wrote 'Carrots' on my cup," Anne continued.

Marilla sighed. "She spoils you too much," Marilla said, an air of disappointment in her voice.

Anne laughed. Just then, Matthew also came into the kitchen.  
  
"Hello, Anne," he said, the ghost of a smile on his face.  
  
"Hello, Matthew!" Anne said, running into his warm embrace. He broke into a full smile as he hugged her tightly.

"I really should be going to sleep soon. I'm glad to be home for the weekend, though. Especially with finals coming up. Thank you for letting me visit," Anne said.

"You never need to thank us for letting you visit, Anne," Matthew said. "Green Gables is yours as much as ours. It always has been." Matthew smiled, and Marilla nodded in agreement. Anne hugged them both.

She grabbed her latte, and after wishing Matthew and Marilla goodnight, went up to her room. It hadn't changed almost at all over the years, though there were some more of Cole's drawings on the walls, and there were dried flowers sitting in assorted places throughout her room. She breathed in deeply, as if trying to absorb as much "home" as she possibly could. She sat on her bed and lifted the cup over her head so that she could read the bottom. 

On the bottom, again in Gilbert's stupidly neat handwriting was, "Iced Green Tea Latte with Me? On the house. -Gilbert" There was a haphazardly drawn smiley face next to where he had signed his name. Anne felt her cheeks warm as she reread the note. Was he…was he asking her out on a date?  
  
There was no way. Gilbert had never felt that way about her, and even so, they were both so busy with school and with their lives, how would they even find the time? Anne's mind began to race. Gilbert Blythe, Anne's best friend, her rival, had just asked her out. On a date. What was she supposed to do? Anne quickly dialed Diana's number (which she knew by heart) and prayed to anyone who would listen that Diana would pick up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already got most of the next chapter written because I love resolution. Also could you tell I know absolutely nothing about coffee? (I don't) I LOVED the idea though, so I kind of just took it and ran! Again, if you have any feedback at all don't hesitate to use that comment section, I would greatly appreciate it. Also formatting? Don't know how that works, so sorry if that annoyed anyone, I'm still kind of getting the hang of this.
> 
> (Update: the format has been fixed, life is good, my skin is clearer than it was)  
> :)


	2. "Your Station is in My Heart"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne gets some advice, has some realizations, and pulls some shenanigans because frankly Gilbert Blythe, lovable as he is, is SUCH an easy target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty folks, thanks for bearing with me between wack formatting (it's edited now so if you're reading this like post 6/17/19 hoooopefully you have no qualms about the formatting but hey it's my first time) and some questionable sentences written at midnight.
> 
> Enjoy, my dudes :)

"Anne? What is it?" Diana asked over the phone upon picking up.

"Oh Diana, thank goodness, I truly don't know what I would have done if you hadn't picked up! I am FREAKING OUT right now," Anne said in a rush.

"Anne, you're worrying me. What happened?" Diana asked again, worry lacing her voice.

"Gilbert Blythe just asked me out, I think."

"You think?"

"Well, I don't know much about romance. I don't exactly have anyone lining up to date me, so I don't know if I'm…experienced enough to recognize a date when I see one," Anne said.

"Slow down, Anne. What did he write?"

Although Diana had provided Gilbert with the idea of asking Anne out with a note on the cup, she hadn’t told him what to say. It would be more natural if it came from his mind alone, even if he really was better suited to biology and calculus.

"He wrote 'Iced Green Tea Latte with me? On the house.' And then he signed his name. With a smiley face," Anne said choppily. She was holding the cup in a shaking hand. Her nerves had gone into overdrive; her mind was racing more quickly than usual. "Is that…was he asking me out?"

"Yes Anne, he was asking you out! You are going to say yes, aren't you?" Diana said, her worry replaced with excitement.

"Maybe. Yes. Probably. I don't know…I think so. It just feels so sudden, you know? I mean, you know as well as I do that I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic, but I've started to move on from my romantic ideals. It didn't seem like it was going to happen for me anymore," Anne said, a hint of pain in her voice. It's not that she didn't want romance, it was more that no one else wanted romance with her. Eventually it became draining to try to make a meaningful connection, especially when it seemed as though no one cared.

"But Anne," Diana reasoned, "now it's happening right in front of you! And I know what you're going to say it's--"

"Gilbert Blythe," they said at the same time. Diana continued despite the interruption, "But why does that change anything at all?"

"Because, Diana, we've already developed a deep and meaningful bond. There is nothing wrong with a platonic relationship with him," Anne said defiantly.

"But is that what you want?"

Anne sighed. "I would be lying if I said I've never thought of it before he asked me out. But…I don't want it to ruin our friendship, which is nice as it is," she answered, somewhat defeated.

"For someone who loves adventure, you sure are content with something being just 'nice,'" Diana pointed out.

"That's because it is! It is nice, knowing he's always there for me, and I him, laughing with him, having someone who understands. I don't want to mess it up just like I do with everything else," Anne grumbled.

"I don't think you could mess it up if you tried," Diana said consolingly. "He really likes you, Anne. I've seen the way he looks at you. I have a feeling this isn't about how you feel about him, but more about you not wanting anything to change. And I get that. Your friendship is nice, but maybe…maybe something more could turn out to be wonderful. Just…do what's right for you."

"Thank you for your counsel, Diana. I don't know where I would be without you," Anne said. Diana could hear the smile in her voice. Anne took a shaky breath and then continued, "You can't tell Gilbert this, but I already know I'm going to say yes-"

Diana squealed excitedly.

Anne continued, "Like I said, I've thought about this before, the idea of us dating. I just…never really let my imagination run with it. It never seemed like he thought of me that way. I didn't want to get so caught up with the idea. Like, it could be, maybe, but I never wanted to push it." Anne smiled. Gilbert Blythe had asked her out. It was real, and it wasn't her imagination.

"Anne, I love you dearly; you know this. You're the smartest person I know, easily. But for being the smartest person I know, you are hopelessly oblivious when it comes to your own love life," Diana said with such pity that Anne could feel it even through her phone.

"Hey! That's mean."

"It's the truth. Now, I have to go. I promised Jerry I'd call him, since this is the best time for both of us with him in Paris right now," Diana said.

"Tell him hello for me! I love you, Diana, goodnight!" Anne said.

"I love you, too! Goodnight!"

 Anne heard her phone beep as the call ended and she flopped back onto the quilt on her bed. She stayed there for a moment, just enjoying the silence as all that had happened caught up with her. She could tell from Diana's reaction that she had probably already known about Gil asking her out, which meant he'd been thinking about this for quite some time. It was sweet, really.

With newfound resolution, Anne decided she would go to Mary's tomorrow to tell Gilbert she would love to get coffee (or an Iced Green Tea Latte, but same difference really) with him. Although she was practically buzzing from wanting to tell him that very moment, Anne believed that texting him her answer would be very unromantical, and it wasn't as though it would be that much longer than if she told him at that moment. She would go in the morning, though; she wasn't sure that she could wait until her and Diana's usual time.

__________________

The next morning, Anne woke up quite early, despite her staying up most of the night on account of not being able to stop thinking (though the caffeine didn't help, either). It was as though the universe had smiled upon Anne; the day was bright and beautiful, which wasn't uncommon for Avonlea, but still exciting nonetheless. She got dressed as quickly as she could (while still trying to look presentable) and absent-mindedly French braided her hair into two braids, like she used to when she was younger. She wished Marilla and Matthew good morning, and then flew out the door.

Anne's heart hadn't stopped beating since she'd left Green Gables, and against all odds, it somehow began beating even faster when she entered Mary's. _Gil has done quite the number on my emotions_ , she thought to herself. The café was still buzzing from the morning crowd, and it was much busier than it usually was when Diana and Anne went in the afternoon lull. It wasn't that Anne minded, but it was even harder for her to focus. She was searching behind the counter for Gilbert, even trying to peek into the back, but he was nowhere in sight. As the line crept forward, it was finally her turn.

She finally reached the front, and she was greeted by Charlie Sloane, a boy she had gone to high school with. "Hello, Anne," he greeted rather dully. (She understood; after all, he was working the morning shift, which began at 5:00. It was already 9:00.) 

"Good morning, Charlie! Uh," Anne paused, trying to work up the courage to finally ask, "Is--um, Is Gilbert here?"

Charlie sighed. "No, his shift won't start for another hour," he answered. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason, he just, well-- it doesn't matter. Can I just get an Iced Green Tea Latte with light ice and no straw, please?"

Charlie gave Anne a confused look. "We don't make that anymore," he said, clearly wondering why Anne had thought they did.

"But that's not possible. I just got one yesterday, there's no way the menu changed--"

"It hasn't been on the menu for almost three months, Anne. I don't know what you've been getting, but it's not that," Charlie interrupted, clearly bored and at this point, annoyed. 

"Oh," Anne replied softly. "I'll just get the drink of the week, then. No straw."

"Coming right up," Charlie said, writing her name and order on the cup. "Have a nice day, Anne. It was good to see you."

"Good to see you, too," Anne said, distracted.

She took her regular seat at the counter, and she set into deep thought. She was 100% certain that Charlie was wrong. She had just ordered her Iced Green Tea Latte yesterday, and it tasted no differently than it had when she first ordered it. When she looked at the menu, though, sure enough, it wasn't there. Given, she hadn't looked at the menu in almost two years, but still. It was all too strange.

Anne was completely thrown from her thoughts when she heard her name called by Bash.

"Anne, my favorite customer! What brings you here at this time of day?"

Anne smiled. Bash was always a joy to be around, and she loved the way he said her name like it was one of her favorite words. It made it seem as though "Anne" wasn't quite as boring as she thought it was. Realizing she didn't really have a valid answer to Bash's question without him finding out her real reason for being here, she said, "Oh, I just didn't sleep well last night, and thought I could do with a boost from my favorite." Anne held up the drink, which had just been placed in front of her.

"Trying one of my concoctions, I see!" Bash exclaimed, excited.

"Diana got it yesterday, and it was really lovely," Anne said in response. There was a slight pause. "Bash, may I ask you a question?"  
"Always, Anne. What is it you would like to know?"

"Charlie said that you stopped making the Iced Green Tea Latte almost three months ago. Is that true?" She asked. 

Bash's face appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, it is true. I really like it, but almost no one was ordering it. I guess you haven't had your favorite in a while. If you'd like I can go make you one now?" He offered.

"That's just it, though," Anne said, "I had it yesterday. Gilbert made it."

A wicked grin spread across Bash's face. "Sneaky, sneaky boy. I bet he didn't even think he'd get caught! Oh Anne Shirley Cuthbert, this is a wonderful day indeed. If it's not too much trouble, will you stay until he gets here? I'd love to catch him in his own lie," Bash said gleefully.

Anne smirked, and then answered, "Of course. Anything to mess with Gil."

When he thought Anne wasn't listening, she heard Bash mutter, "Lovesick fool." He then headed into the kitchen. He reappeared minutes later, wearing a yellow apron.

"Now," he began in a hushed voice for no discernable reason, "here's what we're going to do. Blythe's going to get here around 8:45 because he's too damn good and he shows up to work early to help whoever's about to get off. So in about 30 minutes, if it's okay with you, you need to leave, or at least hang out in your car. You'll reenter around…10:04-"

"That's specific," Anne observed.

"It'll ensure that he is finally working at this point, and it'll give me time to explain that someone called off last minute so Mary asked me to fill in today since she had to meet with the graphic designers," Bash explained before continuing. "So you'll reenter around 10:04, and Gilbert will try to serve you, but I won't let him. You'll order your usual, and I'll say 'I'm sorry, but we haven't served that for almost three months,' which is true. You'll say, 'But Gilbert has been making them for me, and he never said anything about taking them off the menu,' and then hopefully the rest will play itself out."

"I like this plan," Anne said wickedly, "Gil will be sooooo pissed. It'll be great." 

Anne and Bash laughed together, not unlike two scheming villains from one of Anne's books. They continued to make small talk until it was time to put their plan into action, talking about how Anne's classes were going and all of Bash's flavor combination ideas.

Before she knew it, Bash was harshly whispering, "It's time! I'll see you soon, Anne!" With a wink and a nod, Anne was sent on her way to set their scheme into motion. Hardly three minutes after Anne had retreated to her car, Gilbert pulled into the small lot. He climbed out, yellow apron balled in his hand. He didn't seem to notice Anne. She double checked the time; 9:45. She would have to wait precisely nineteen minutes before going back in. Setting a timer on her phone, Anne pulled out her copy of Jane Eyre and picked up where she had left off. It was probably her hundredth time reading the care-worn book, but every time she picked it up again she felt herself delve even deeper into the book than ever before.

Before she knew it, her phone was buzzing, signaling that it was go-time. Anne got out of her car and smoothed out her sweater. She opened the door, pretending as though she hadn't been there over an hour earlier. She saw Gilbert note her presence nervously, and she couldn't help but feel her nerves rise, too.  
Her heart started beating quickly again, and she suddenly felt very aware of herself. But she and Bash had a plan, and she wasn't about to skip out now. Bash was at the register next to Gilbert, watching Anne, his inevitable amusement and catching Gilbert already etched into his expression.

Gilbert's eyes softened as Anne approached the counter. "Anne," he said, softly, kindly, and nervously all at once, "how're you? What can I get you-"

"Anne! My favorite customer!" Bash interrupted loudly. "What'll it be today?"

Anne tried her best to hide her amusement as Gilbert shot Bash an annoyed look. She wasn't sure how successful she was, but it didn't matter because Gilbert was too busy saying, "Bash, I was already serving her."

"No, you were busy interrupting me serving her. Go make yourself useful and wipe down the counter, or something," Bash said, throwing a dishtowel in Gilbert's direction. Gilbert grumbled, but grudgingly began wiping the counter down. He seemed intent on cleaning a specific spot coincidentally very close to where Bash and Anne were.

 _Good_ , Anne thought, _it'll be that much easier to see the look on his face when he realized he's been caught._

"Thank you Bash," Anne began, "Can I please get an Iced Green Tea Latte with light ice and no straw?"

Both Anne and Bash watched Gilbert stiffen and suddenly stop scrubbing at the spot he had been so focused on earlier. They shared a quick smile, and continued in their scripted order.

"I'm sorry, Anne, but we stopped making that almost three months ago. Perhaps you'd like the flavor of the week? I developed it myself," Bash replied smoothly.

"That's odd," Anne said, feigning confusion, "I just ordered it yesterday. Gilbert made it for me. He never said anything about it being taken off the menu." 

Bash and Anne looked over to Gibert, who at this point wasn't even trying to look like he wasn't eavesdropping. She noted that his face was considerably more pink than it had been a few minutes ago.

"Gilbert," Bash asked, not even trying to conceal his glee at this point, "why would you do a thing like that?"

Gilbert swallowed, then looked up. "Because I knew it was Anne's favorite, and it's not as though we didn't have the ingredients to make it. It's just good customer service," he said, attempting nonchalance.

"I see. So do you give all of your customers the same treatment?" Bash asked, a wicked glint in his eye.

"Well, Anne's my…friend."

"Just friends, even after you asked me out? What was it, Green Tea Latte on the house? I thought Mary wouldn't like that much," Anne said as innocently as she could muster while pushing all of her nervousness in the back of her mind.

"Alright, that was a low blow, Anne," Gilbert protested, a smile taking over his expression. 

Bash whooped, drawing the attention of all the other customers. He didn't seem to care, although he did ask at a more normal volume, "Blythe you asked her out? I never thought this day would come! I need to call Mary!" 

Bash pulled his phone out and began to dial Mary's number. "Mary, hello- yes it's important- I know you're in a meeting but it's about Gilbert- No, he's fine; yes he's right here. Mary, he asked Anne out!"

There was a loud noise over the phone that sounded like cheering. "She says congratulations, Gilbert," Bash said.

"Thank you," Gilbert began awkwardly, "…but she hasn't actually said whether she'll go out with me yet."

Anne froze, realizing she'd never actually given him an answer. Bash froze, too; his jaw dropped slightly as he paused his celebration. There was an awkward pause, and Anne felt as though everyone was watching her; she could only look at Gilbert, though. He was staring back at her, and they both seemed frozen in time, fixated to only each other. However, the moment was completely shattered by Bash who whispered into his phone, "Anne hasn't told Gil whether she'll go out with him or not."

"So?" Gilbert asked, the question hanging in the air as he watched her, waiting to see what she'd say.

Anne realized it was her turn to talk, and in a rush she said, "Of course I'll go out with you, Gil."

"She said YES, Mary!" Bash shouted. More cheering could be heard over the phone, this time louder than before. Anne suspected everyone in the meeting had joined in.

Gilbert laughed, and Anne joined in as they gazed at each other again. _If only the damn counter wasn't obstructing us_ , Anne caught herself thinking. Bash went back to celebrating, and even a couple of the patrons were watching as their relationship began to blossom.

"I'd offer to go now, but I just started my shift," Gilbert said apologetically.

Anne blinked. "Oh, it's okay, there's always another--"

"Woah, woah, woah, I don't think so, you two. Mary and I have waited too damn long to watch you go out later. Go now, Gilbert, I'll cover your shift. I've already got the apron on," Bash said, interrupting Anne.

"Are you sure? I thought you were covering for Moody," Gilbert said, concern tinging his voice. 

"That was a LIE, I was _lying_ to you so I could see your face when you realized Anne and I had caught you trying to woo her with Green Tea Lattes. Honestly, Gilbert, sometimes I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you," Bash answered, "Now go, and make her a latte while you're at it."

Anne giggled, and Gilbert's face lit up. "I'll be right out, save me a seat," he said, just to her. She watched as he hurried behind the counter to make them drinks. For the very first time in a long while, she sat at a table. Only minutes later, he joined Anne at the table she had reserved, holding two Iced Green Tea Lattes.

"It's my favorite, too," he explained. Gilbert set one down on the table in front of him, and held the other one out to her. She noticed his usual scrawl written on the side of the cup, and turned it to look. In place of the usual names he put there-- from "Ann" to "Andi" to "Carrots," was her name spelt correctly: Anne. In place of the carrot, there was a little heart. Silly as it was, is still made Anne melt. 

"Although we learned in the spelling bee that one time that you're the master speller here, I thought I would prove that I do know how to spell your name, even if I don't act like it," Gilbert said somewhat mischievously. His eyes were bright and beautiful, and if Anne could look at them all day, she thought, she would. There wasn't quite a word to describe the color of his eyes, and she found herself searching for a new one anyways. The only thing that seemed right to her was _Gilbert_.

"I'm glad to know you're not, in fact, illiterate," Anne teased, smiling.

Gilbert's grin widened as he said, "I also thought I'd give you a taste of my artistic abilities, even if Cole could have turned that cup into the next Starry Night."

"Well, your artistic abilities may need some work, but they're quite endearing, Gil. Thank you."  
"Always for you, Anne."

And in that moment, Anne couldn't even imagine having to think about whether she would go on a date with Gilbert. Sure, he was a fool, but he was her fool. And hey, he made great Iced Green Tea Lattes.

She told him as such, joking, "So if we're officially dating, does that mean I get free lattes?" She looked at him, and saw him smirk in return.

"I'm not sure Mary would like me giving away free drinks," He replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm pretty sure Mary wouldn't mind for her favorite customer," Anne shot back jokingly.  

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"You're my favorite customer, too."

"Really? Even though I have hair the color of, as you so eloquently put it, carrots?" Anne was joking, but she realized she was truly curious what she thought of her atrocious hair, especially after the carrots joke. 

Gilbert reached out and touched her hair gently. 

"Especially because of your hair, Anne," he said, blushing. He reached for her hand, and their fingers laced together. Odd, Anne noted, how his hand seems to fit right into mine.

Anne felt her chest tighten a little, and she felt what she couldn't describe as anything other than butterflies, cliché as it was. She felt as though she couldn't hold back all of the feeling she had welling up inside of her. It was overwhelming; the feeling of warmth, of happiness, of safety. It was the feeling of Green Gables, of Diana, or Marilla and Matthew. It was home.

"I feel as though I always have so many words to describe a moment, a feeling. But you, Gilbert Blythe, have rendered me speechless," Anne said. 

"Can I try to make you speechless again?" He asked, a mischievous but nervous look in his eyes.

Certain she knew exactly what he meant, she said with a smile, "You can try."

Gilbert leaned forward, and cupping her cheek, kissed her gently. After a fleeting moment, he pulled away softly, his other hand still laced with hers. She had never had a kiss that was quite so perfect on the first try. All she could do was look at Gil with his goofy grin and grin back. For the second time that day, Anne was once again speechless.

After a minute of them grinning like idiots, Anne finally said, "I think it worked." 

And they sat there, with their Iced Green Tea Lattes, light ice, with no straws, feeling as though they were the only two people in Mary's, which Anne thought to herself, had the best coffee and lattes in all of Prince Edward Island, as well as the best baristas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you like it? I really, really hope so, the goal is always to write something someone will enjoy. If you have any feedback or any kind words I’d love to see them in the comments, thank you for bearing with me in the chaos that is me trying to figure out this website!


End file.
